Opinions on Ulster Bank please...

Noz

Halifax banking don't use overseas call centres, in fact one of their largest call centres is in Belfast.

belfastgirl23

I'd recommend nationwide...Ulster bank might have local people on the phones but they are invariably demotivated and grumpy cos it is a s**t place to work...

I'd recommend Nationwide personally, it's the only bank (or building society rather) that I could honestly say have always given me excellent customer service.

doelani

I changed from halifax to Ulster Bank about 6 months ago, have had no problems with them. I mostly use the internet banking which I find excellant.

thriftyminx13

I think this topic was discussed previously on another thread.

I'm with northern bank and find them lovely. easy internet, easy in the branch, helpful on the phone. i'm not a fan of ulster bank. but haven't heard any complaints about other local banks.

ballyblack

THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED HERE RECENTLY:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1399851

southantrim3

Thanks Ballyblack,
Had completely forgotten I had posted that thread even though it was only a few weeks ago. Apologies guys.

ballyblack

ulster bank thread here

doc_ni

I started with Ulster Bank, overcharged lot of hidden fees, got fed up and moved to Nationwide, overall much better experience for last 6 years.

helzbelz_57

firstly i would say that ulster bank is not at all competitive with regards to personal banking. i myself bank with halifax (despite being UB staff) and find all the staff i deal with at Halifax very helpful and friendly. While many of the staff of UB that i work with are friendly and keen to help the customer, i have been to branches other than my place of work and find the staff uninterested in the customer and uneager to help when there is a problem. the mindset of alot of the branch managers and customer advisors seems to be that of profit before everything else. i have seen customers been tricked into upgrading to packaged accounts without being made aware that they will have to pay a monthly fee and also elderly people being tricked into tying up their money in bonds without understanding that they will have no access to it for several years. i do not bank with ulster bank and wouldnt advise anyone to do so.

Ballymackeonan

I've had some experience of the Ylster Bank with business accounts. In one case, I was being added as a signatory on the account and the paperwork had to be submitted 3 times because it got lost between the vranch and head office. Another company I work with has moved accounts to Alliance & Leicester, because their "adviser" in the branch made it clear to the directors that their company was too small to interest him. They'd only been running 2½ years at that point, small profit in year 1, but healthy and sustained growth since. I would have thought that was the sort of business the bank wanted to keep!